Sunday, November 27, 2016

My husband was traveling almost weekly to his job in New York; we decided to make a trip out of it. My sister lived in Chicago at the the time, so the plan was for me to take the girls there first, and then hit New York, and then home. We dubbed our trip "Girls in the City" (we even made a theme song for it).

I made sure to pack only what I could carry. Meaning, with me, the kids, and the wheelchair (any combination of wheeling, towing, and carrying).

We took the train to Chicago--the girls have never been on a train before! I love the train. (I do not like flying). The staff at Union Station (DC) were so friendly and helpful--especially useful as I have never navigated the train station with a wheelchair before. (Aside: thanks to all the readers here who recommended bringing Elena's wheelchair; it was an absolute must.)

Girls on the Train

Arrived in Chicago!

I had heard the Tall Ships were coming through Lake Michigan on the radio about a year ago and wanted to see them--which was a main reason for this trip. My sister living in the city made the trip easy and fun! We also go to visit some friends, and enjoy the city (even if it rained a bunch).

Girls on a Ship

Ready the Cannons! Spanish Galleon was our favorite ship.

Captain E

Sisters on the Navy Pier

Navigating Chicago was challenging. I decided not to take the El, as I'd
never used it before and wasn't sure how to go about it with the chair
and Elena's crutches, so we traveled either on foot (lots of walking,
but at least it was mostly flat; I was happy to lean on the chair given
my bad knee) or by Uber (first time using it; drivers were wonderful!).
Elena rode a lot in the chair because we all thought walking those long
distances would tire her out once we got to a destination. That was both
right and wrong, as we learned once we got to New York.

Center of my Universe (at the Planetarium)

Leap

Lake Michigan

We were lucky enough to see some friends while we were there! It was so
lovely to visit with the Bs and the Ts! Thanks JB for the donuts (OMG
Stan's!) and the good times with the Tribe, especially at the aquarium.

Fountains. Viv got soaked.

Crystal Gardens

The best lessons I learned from this first
leg of the trip were: trains are (still) fantastic, always bring the
wheelchair, Uber is great, Chicago food is amazing (I already knew
that), and be sure to hang out with people who know the city if you can.
Everyone we met was very kind. When Chicago weather is good, there is a
lot to do and explore. And walking 3-7 miles per day hauling
everything with a bad knee is rough.

Finding the Cupcake ATM was probably Viv's favorite part. Can you tell?

Huge thanks to Aunt Kate, who was our guide and helper throughout the city, as well as The Tribe, who knows how to navigate with kids/equipment!

Recent Doodle Updates

INSTAGRAM

Search This Blog

Mission Statement

No one plans, or expects, to have a child with a disability. When this happened to us, we started a desperate search to find information relating to milestones or expectations for our daughter after her diagnosis. Most of this was fruitless. My hope is for this site to help any person or parent in a situation similar to ours.

About Me

I'm a work-hard, play-hard multitasking wife and mother of two. I'm lucky to have a supportive family and friends, and live in a great town for children with (and without) disabililties. Elena is my firstborn, born at 33w with moderate spastic diplegia. Vivian is my secondborn--almost at 28w, but with a lot of help, made it to 38 1/2w and developing normally; she was diagnosed with focal epilepsy at age 9.